Military practices downing airliners

Taxman · #1 10-03-2003, 01:39 PM

Quote:

<font size="4" s><center>Pilots train for worst-case scenario in event of terror hijacking</center></font s>

The U.S. military practices at least twice each week for the nightmare scenario of having to shoot down a civilian airliner hijacked by terrorists, the commander of forces in North America said Thursday.

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The rules allow for an order to shoot down a civilian plane only if there is no other option to prevent a Sept. 11-style attack on the ground, the general said. There are authentication procedures for such orders to make sure “someone can’t just get on the radio and say, ’This is the president, I order you to shoot down that plane,”’ Eberhart said.

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“I would take issue with anyone who would say the men and women in our armed forces are trigger happy,” Eberhart said at a breakfast meeting with reporters. “I’m more worried that they would be trigger hesitant than trigger happy. We have long discussions with people to see if they’re ready to do this.”

- more

Full article here.

Dick_Fury · #2 10-03-2003, 08:25 PM

and this surprises anyone after 9/11?

it's a plausible (albeit draconian) response to a very possible nightmare scenario.

Taxman · #3 10-04-2003, 11:55 AM

I don't know about draconian, Fury. I personaly wish that we had only lost the passengers on the 9/11 flights instead of 3,000+ people. If this will help keep that from happening again, I'm all for it.

Jadem Cog · #4 10-05-2003, 07:04 AM

God help those who would have to pull the trigger if it ever happened.

Taxman · #5 10-06-2003, 01:52 PM

You're not kidding.

BTW, what happened to your avitar?

- edit -

OK, now it's back. Weird...

Jadem Cog · #6 10-07-2003, 06:58 AM

My site is down at the moment. working on getting it back up.